Nightlife news and notes: Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival and more

January 16, 2014 - 1:26 PM

Great Minnesota Beer-together

The perennially sold-out Beer Dabbler Winter Carnival returns next Saturday at a new venue. In its fifth year, the beer fest is moving to the midway of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for its outdoor taste-a-thon. The 150-strong brewery lineup features such locals as Bent Paddle, the not-yet-open Day Block and Summit (which recently unveiled new-look packaging), as well as hotshot out-of-staters including Green Flash, Stone and Oskar Blues, which is making its Minnesota debut. Non-beer entertainment features live music, food trucks, a homebrew contest, silent disco and an attempt at waging the world’s largest snowball fight. As of press time, tickets were still available.

Prepare to have your minds blown, Minnesota. Get this: A new brewery is opening in Minneapolis! Weird, right? The kicker is that the taproom-only Sisyphus Brewing, founded by local comedian Sam Harriman, will double as a comedy club/performance space near Dunwoody College of Technology. We’re told there will not be growler sales, but there will be podcasts. Yes, Harriman plans to invite fellow comedians, performers and brewers to brew with him and record their conversations for release as podcasts. Proceeds from that beer will benefit charities of his guests’ choice. Sisyphus is shooting to open around late April.

Precious imperial stout

On Saturday, Lift Bridge releases Silhouette — its coveted barrel-aged Russian imperial stout — exclusively at the brewery. There’s an un-aged version, too, but it’s the more limited stuff, which has been basking in Heaven Hill whiskey barrels for up to three years, that really gets beer geeks’ blood flowing. Advance tickets that include a bomber of the barrel-aged goodness are sold out, but any remaining bottles will be available for purchase.